BA English Literature Syllabus and Subjects 2024

Duration: 3 Years
Avg Fees: ₹2,000- 1,00,000 per annum
Ayesha Taneem
Ayesha Taneem

Updated on - Apr 24, 2024

BA English Literature syllabus is divided into 6 semesters over 3 years and mainly covers an in-depth study of socio-political issues, theoretical frameworks, and contemporary research, poetry, drama, non-fiction, prose, history, etc. BA English Literature subjects cover a range of topics starting from Shakespeare to Elizabethan Age Literature, Contemporary and Western Literature, etc. 

BA English Literature core subjects include British and American Prose, History Of Literature And Philology, Environmental Studies, Shakespeare Drama, Poetry, Literary Form, 20th-Century English Literature, etc. Students can also select elective subjects such as Literary Criticism, Mythology and Literature, Indian Theatre Study, etc.

BA English Literature course also helps students to develop various skills in English Phonetics, Word Power and Creative Writing, Presentation, Value Education, Digital Skill Development for Employment, etc., as a part of skill-based courses in the curriculum.

Table of Contents

Semester Wise BA English Literature Syllabus

BA English Literature subjects contain a wide range of topics such as cultural research, English literature, modern literature, rhetoric, etc. However, the syllabus pattern may differ in institutions based on the academic structure and different regulations.

Students can also download the B.A. English Literature syllabus PDF of various college’s official websites. A detailed view of the generic BA English Literature syllabus is given below

First Year BA English Literature Syllabus

The English literature syllabus BA 1st year covers fundamental topics like European Classical Literature, History Of Literature And Philology, British Poetry And Drama (14th – 17th Century),  etc.

BA English lLiterature 1st semester syllabus covers topics such as European Classical Literature, Environment Study and History Of Literature and Philology. The BA 2nd sem English Literature syllabus includes Indian Writing in English, British Poetry And Drama (14th – 17th Century) and Communicative English.

Students get to study various subjects and different sections of English history in the BA first year English Literature syllabus. Given below are the English Literature BA 1st Year syllabus:

Semester I Semester II
European Classical Literature Indian Writing in English - Fiction 
Environment Study British Poetry And Drama (14th – 17th Century)
History Of Literature And Philology Communicative English

BA English Literature Second Year Syllabus

BA English Literature second year syllabus delves into the study of American Literature, British Literature, Popular Literature, 19th-Century British Literature, Indian Theatre Study, etc. 

A variety of dramas, novels, and poems are covered under the BA 4th semester English Literature syllabus. Given below are the BA 2nd Year English Literature syllabus:

Semester III Semester IV
American Literature British Literature (18th Century)
Popular Literature British Romantic Literature
British Poetry And Drama (17th – 18th Century) 19th-Century British Literature
Comparative Literature Fundamentals World Mythology and Literature
Indian Theatre Study Linguistic Introduction

BA English Literature Third Year Syllabus

BA 3rd year syllabus English Literature focuses on Modern European Drama, Early 20th-Century British Literature, Modern Indian Writing In English Translation, Literary Criticism, etc. 

Given below are the English Literature 5th and BA English Literature 6th semester syllabus:

Semester V  Semester VI
Women's Writing Modern European Drama
Early 20th-Century British Literature Postcolonial Literature
Modern Indian Writing In English Translation Literary Criticism
Literary Theory Contemporary India: Women And Empowerment
Partition Literature Autobiography

BA English Literature Subjects- Core & Electives

BA English Literature subjects include the study of the English language, creative writing, and novels and provide knowledge about popular movements like Realism, Post-Colonialism, and Existentialism. Listed below are year-wise core & elective subjects under the BA English Literature syllabus.

BA English Literature First Year Subjects

English Literature BA first year subjects cover European Classical Literature, Indian Writing in English, these subjects offer a comprehensive understanding of the literary landscape, including themes such as British Romanticism, British Poetry and Drama, and postcolonial literature. 

The BA English Literature first year subjects are listed below:

            Subjects Topics Covered

Type

European Classical Literature  Social and intellectual background, Homer, The Iliad, Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Ovid, Selections from Metamorphosis, 'Bacchus', Plautus, and Pot of Gold

Core

Environment Study Nature Writing, Eco-Criticism, Conservation Literature, Sustainability Themes, Literary Responses to Climate Change, Environmental Ethics, Nature as Symbolism, etc.

Core

History Of Literature And Philology Old English Heroic Poetry, Old English Prose and Chaucer, Elizabethan Sonnets, University Wits and Ben Jonson, Restoration Comedy of Manners and Eighteenth Century, Pre-Romantic Poetry and Romantic Non-fiction Prose

Core

Indian Writing in English Indian English, Indian English Literature and its Readership, Themes and Contexts of the Indian English Novel

Core

British Poetry and Drama (14th – 17th century) Age of Feudalism: Social-Political Fragmentation, Structure of Society under the Church, Humanism in Renaissance

Core

Communicative English Travel and Tourism, English For the Workplace, Confronting Critical Situations, Brave the Challenge, Mass Media, Responding to the World Around You

Core

BA English Literature Second Year Subjects

The second year BA English Literature subjects explore American Literature, Popular Literature, British Poetry, and Drama, 19th Century British Literature, etc. 

The BA English Literature second year subjects and topics covered are detailed in the table below. 

            Subjects Topics Covered Type
American Literature  Literary Movements (Transcendentalism, Harlem Renaissance, Beat Generation, etc.), American Literary Classics, Ethnic Literature, Regional Literature, Native American Literature, Contemporary Voices, Impact of Historical Events on Literature, etc. Core
British Poetry and Drama (14th – 17th century)  Geoffrey Chaucer. “Wife of Bath ''. The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.Ed. Nevill Coghill,  Edmund Spenser. Sonnet LXXV. “One day I wrote her name…” Amoretti., John Donne. “The Sunne Rising'' and “ Valediction Forbidding Mourning”, Francis Bacon. “Of Empire” Core
Popular Literature Coming of Age, The Canonical and the Popular, Caste, Gender and Identity, Ethics and Education in Children‘s Literature, Sense and Nonsense. Core
British Romantic Literature William Blake. “The Lamb”, “The Chimney Sweeper”, “The Tyger”, the Introduction to The Songs of Innocence., Robert Burns. “A Bard’s Epitaph” and “Scots Wha Hae”, William Wordsworth. “Tintern Abbey” Core
British Literature (18th century)  The Stage, Court and City, Religious and Political Thought, Ideas of Love and Marriage, Poetry and Drama of 17th -18th Centuries. Core
19th Century British Literature  Charlotte Brontë. Jane Eyre. 1847, Charles Dickens. Hard Times, Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d'Urbervilles.1891-92. Alfred Tennyson. “Ulysses” Core
Comparative Literature Fundamentals Definition and Scope of Comparative Literature, Theoretical Foundations, Literary Translation, Comparative Studies in Genres, Globalization and Literature, etc. Elective
Indian Theatre Study Sanskrit Drama, Medieval Theatre Forms, Colonial Influence on Theatre, Modern Indian Theatre, Post-Independence Theatre, Regional Theatre Traditions, Theatre and Social Change, etc. Elective
World Mythology and Literature Mythological Themes, Mythological Characters, Archetypal Patterns, Mythology in Literature, Mythology in Popular Culture, Mythology and Psychology, etc. Elective
Linguistic Introduction Phonetics and Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Historical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, etc. Elective

BA English Literature Third Year Subjects

The third year BA English Literature subjects cover Women's Writing,  Early 20th Century British Literature, Modern European Drama, Modern Indian Writing In English Translation, etc. 

Listed below are the BA English Literature subjects for the third year along with their topics covered:

            Subjects Topics Covered Type
Women's Writing  Emily Dickinson. “I cannot live with you”. “I’m ‘wife’- I’ve finished that”, Sylvia Plath. “Daddy”, “Lady Lazarus”, Alice Walker. The Color Purple, Katherine Mansfield. “Bliss”, Mahashweta Devi. “Draupadi” Core
Early 20th Century British Literature  Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness.John Millington Synge. Riders to the Sea. James Joyce. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. William Butler Yeats. “Byzantium”, “Sailing to Byzantium” Core
Modern Indian Writing In English Translation The Shroud by Munshi Prem Chand, The Quilt by Ismat Chugtai, Rebati by Fakir Mohan Senapati. Poetry - ‘Light, oh where is the light?’ by Rabindranath Tagore, The Void by G.M. Muktibodh, I Say unto Waris Shah by Amrita Pritam.  Core
Modern European Drama  Henrik Ibsen. “Ghosts”. Ghosts and Other Plays. Tr. Peter Watts. Penguin, 1964, Bertolt Brecht. The Good Person of Szechwan. Ed.&Tr. Ralph Manheim. Penguin, 2008, Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot Core
Postcolonial Literature  Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. “No One Writes to the Colonel”, Bessie Head. “The Collector of Treasures”, Ama Ata Aidoo. “The Girl Who Can” Core
Literary Criticism Marxism, Antonio Gramsci. “The Formation of the Intellectuals” and “Hegemony (Civil Society) andSeparation of Powers”, Louis Althusser. “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” Core
Literary Theory Marxism - The Formation of the Intellectuals by Antonio Gramsci, Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses by Louis Althusser. Feminism - A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf Elective
Partition Literature Novel - The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh. Short Stories - The Marooned by Protiva Basu, Poetry - After Death: Twenty Years by Birendra Chattopadhyay, Rehabilitation by Sankha Ghosh. Elective
Autobiography My Reminiscences by Rabindranath Tagore, Autobiography or the Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi, My Story and Life as an Actress by Binodini Dasi, and Autobiography of an Unknown Indian by Nirad C. Chaudhuri. Elective

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature Course Structure

BA in English Literature course structure is designed to include both core and elective subjects. BA English Literature syllabus includes the Study of Poetry, Essay Writing, Drama, Novels, Non-Fiction, Prose, History, and Plays

The BA English Literature course structure is given below:

  • VI Semesters
  • Core Subjects
  • Elective Subjects
  • Projects
  • Dissertation
  • Seminar

BA English Literature Projects

BA in English Literature project topics are given to students for interdisciplinary learning. Projects are to be completed by the end of six semesters where the students have to submit a 20,000-word project. Some popular BA English Literature project topics are listed below:

  • Translation and the Canon of Indian Literature: The Case of Satires in Hindi
  • Dissent in Victorian and Edwardian Fantasies by Women
  • Understanding Nation through Globalization: The Case of Post-Liberalization Indian Novel in English
  • Understanding Nation-Building and Local/Global: in the Context Writing and Visual Art

Note: For the detailed list of projects, BA English Literature project PDFs are also available online.

BA in English Literature Teaching Methodology and Techniques

The BA English Literature curriculum takes into account different teaching methods. Along with lectures and practical training, the learners are trained in elective subjects with specializations. Listed below are some methods of teaching:

  • Lecture Method
  • Discussion Method
  • Inquiry Method
  • Discovery Method
  • Problem-Solving Method
  • Project Method of Teaching
  • Workshop

BA English Literature Books

BA English Literature books are meant for a better understanding of concepts which include American Literature, Contemporary Fiction, Research & Criticism, etc. Some reference books to guide and understand the concepts of research areas are listed below:

BA English Literature Books First Year

BA English Literature books are available to students in paperbacks and PDF formats from a variety of authors and publications. Some of the first year BA English Literature books are:

Books Authors Topics Covered
Aristotle/Horace/Longinus: Classical Literary Criticism T.S. Dorsch Analysis of tragic drama, epic poetry and stylistic devices such as metaphor, and his famous notion of the cathartic purging of the emotions.
Divided by a Common Language Meenakshi Mukherjee Complexities and dynamics of multilingualism, Caste Hierarchy, Religion,and Linguistic Politics.
A History Of English Literature Lakshmi Narain Agrawal Middle English Literature, Renaissance, Romantic Poetry, etc.
Orientalism and the Study of Indian Literature Vinay Dharwadkar World Literature, Orientalism and the Institution of Indian Literature, Orientalism and “The Language of Hindoostan”, etc.
Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation G. N. Devy Literary theories, Indian literary traditions, Cultural perspectives, Postcolonial criticism, etc.

BA English Literature Books Second Year

The BA English Literature 2nd year books are provided in the table below for students reference:

Books Authors Topics Covered
A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Themes of Enslavement, Freedom, and Abolition
Indian English Literature 1980-2000: A Critical Survey M. K. Naik  Indian English literature overview, Postcolonial literature, Social issues, Cultural reflections, etc.
Norton Anthology of English Literature John Stuart Mill An overview of poetry, drama, prose fiction, essays, and letters from Beowulf to the beginning of the 21st century.
A Discourse Concerning the Origin and Progress of Satire John Dryden The period from 1660 to 1700- Restoration period.
A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage Jeremy Collier The business of plays is to recommend Vertue, and discountenance Vice, The swelling of public opposition to the real or imposed indecency of the plays staged over the last three decades

BA English Third Books Third Year

The third year books as per the BA English Literature syllabus are mentioned below:

Name of the Books Authors Topics Covered
Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation G. N. Devy Literary theories, Indian literary traditions, Cultural perspectives, Postcolonial criticism, etc.
Indian English Literature 1980-2000: A Critical Survey M. K. Naik Indian English literature overview, Postcolonial literature, Social issues, Cultural reflections, etc.
Language Testing and Evaluation: An Introductory Course Desmond Allison Language testing fundamentals, Evaluation methods, Assessment techniques, Reliability and validity, etc.
Second Language Learning and Language Teaching Vivian Coo Second language acquisition, Bilingualism, Language skills development, Teaching strategies, etc.
Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses Chandra Talapade Mohanty The concept of third-world women in Western scholarship, Mohanty's influential critique of western feminism.

Also Read: Best English Grammar Books

BA English Literature Fee Structure

FAQs on BA English Literature Syllabus and Subjects

Q: What are the subjects in BA English Literature syllabus 1st year?

A: Some of the key subjects covered in the English Literature first year syllabus are European Classical Literature, Indian Writing, British Poetry And Drama (14th – 17th Century), etc.

Q: What do you study in BA English literature?

A: The Bachelor of Arts in English Literature is a thorough and intensive course that covers various literary genres. This three-year degree offers the opportunity to study Poetry, Drama, Novels, Prose, and History.

Q: Which is better, BA English or BA English Literature?

A: BA English focuses on grammar and the use of different parts of speech whereas BA English Literature is a course that explains the origin of the language, epics, plays, etc

Q: How many subjects are there in BA English Literature?

A: A bachelor's degree in English Literature offers a wide range of elective courses in addition to 20 core subjects.

Q: How is the BA English Literature syllabus assessed?

A: English Literature assessments can include a mix of written examinations, debates, group discussions and projects. The evaluation methods can vary depending on the subject.

Q: Which forms of creative writings are typically covered in the Creative writing course?

A: Creative writing covers normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, character development, and the use of literary tropes or with various traditions of poetry and poetics.

Q: What theoretical views are typically addressed in the literary theory and criticism course?

A: Literary theory and criticism courses include comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or evaluation of works of literature. It is essentially an opinion, supported by evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political context.

Q: In what way does the BA English Literature 4th sem syllabus emphasize skill development?

A: The BA English literature 4th sem syllabus helps the graduates to focus on skills like Cultural literacy, Close reading skills, Critical thinking, etc.

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